Engine-shutter apparatus



Aug- 16, 1932- E. G. PETERsEN l,871,733

ENGINE SHUTTER APPAATUS Filed June 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 16, 1932.

E. G. PETERsl-:N 1,871,733

ENGINE SHUTTER APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JE Q9 50 67 MW,W @5,

Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNrrED s'rATEs PATEfN'r orrier;

EDGAR G. PETEB'SEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T I'INES WINTERFRN T COM- NY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ENGINE-SHUTTER APARATUS Application filed June 6,

My invention relates to engine shutter apparatus and contemplates and provides an improved thermo-hydraulic shutter Operating mechanism which is properly responsive to engine temperature and which may be readily adjusted and regulated to insure opening and closing of the shutters in exact accordance with the requirements of the engine with whichthe apparatus is associated. i

The present invention utilizes oil, circulated by the oil pump of the engine, to establish a shutter Operating oil pressure when required, and provides two means, one thermostatically Controlled and one manually adjusted for regulating the circulation of oil, so that oil pressure necessary to open and hold open the shutters is established and maintained whenever, but only when, the temperature condition of the engine is such as to require that the shutters be open.

In the accompanying drawings depicting an illustrative embodiment of my invention, Fig; 1 is a side view, mostly in elevation but partially in section, illustrating an automobile power plant to which the improvements of the present invention have been applied;

Fig. 2 is a top view which may be regarded as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view ofthe pressure-responsive shutter actuating device, and its metering valve, which view may be regarded as taken on the line 3-3 oflFig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. l is an enlarged detailed view of the thermal valve mechanism, which view may be regarded as taken on the line'l-l of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of parts like those shown in Fig. 4: and illustrating how the thermal valve mechanism may be provided with a permanently open bleed hole or its equivalent to insure that at all times'there shall be a certain minimum flow of oil through the apparatus with which the present invention is concerned.

Similar characters of vreference refer to similar parts throughoutthe several views.

1880. smar No. 459,484.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be observed VthatI have shown, somewhat diagrammatically, an automobile power plant comprising an engine 10 having a liquid jacketecl cylinder block 11, cranlr case 12, oil sump 13, oil pump 14, fan 15,'radiator'16, and the c'onventional hose connections 17 to accommodate the flow of water or other Cooling liquid from the liquid jackets of the cylinder block to the'radiator and vice versa. o

The oil pump 14 is indicated diagrammatically and the means for driving this pump and the customary passages for conveying oil from this pump to the engine bearings to be lubricated' have been omitt-ed entirelyV as being unnecessary to a' complete understanding of the present. invention. So far as the present invention is concerned, it is Only essential that there be provided a suitably driven oil pump, either the oil pump with which engines ordinarily are equipped, or a special oil pump, -which will impel a flow of oil from the engine sump through the oil circuit which the present invention contemplates, and then back to' the sump.

The radiator 16, as is customary, constitutes the front wall of a hooded compartment within -which the engine 10 is located. The radiator is or may be of the conventional design comprising a core having fore and aft air passages through which airmay flow to cool the water or other liquid passing through the radiator. The radiator core has not been shown in the laccompanying drawings, but it will be understood that there will he a flow of air through this core, due to the action of the fan V15, and the inertia. of the air itself with the vehicle in motion, when the shutters 18, V'also somewhat diagrammatically shown, are in open position. In the present illustration the several shutters l8arei disposed ver'tically, eachshutter being journaled vided with a front fenestration Controlled ,i

by the shutters, the arrangement being such that all of the air which flows rearwardly through the radiator core must pass through the fenestration 20. Of course, this can be accomplished only when the shutters are open. i

In the particular arrangement shown, each shutter is provided with an Operating arm 21 which is pivoted to an operating bar 22, there being two of these Operating bars 22, one 'for the shutters on each side of the medial Vertical line of the housing 19, these bars 22 being connected by a suitable link 23. Having one end pivo'ted to one of the shutter' Operating bars 22, and thus being operatively connected with all of the shutters, is a link 24 having its otherl end pivotally attached to a bell Crank 25. The fulcrum pivot of the bell crank is at 26, its power arm being adjust-` ably connected by the element 27 with the adjacent end of a rod 28 which passes freely through a tube 29 extending across the upper liquid chamber of the radiator.

. I wish to have it understood that all of the parts of the apparatus thus far described are or may be of any suitable and well known design.

I shall now 'proceed with the description of those parts of the apparatus with the details of which the present invention is more particularly concerned.

Locatedwithin the hood of the vehicle power plant and conveniently mounted upon the rear face of the upper chamber of the radiator, as shown, is a cylinder 30 provided with a piston 31 including a cup leather 32,

said piston'being provided with a piston rod, namely the rod 28 whichv is connected with the shutter vOperating bell crank 25, as previously described. Located within the cylinder 30 and convenientlydisposed around the piston rod 28 is a spring'33, which at all times tends to move the piston 31 to the right (Figs. l and The spring 33, of course, also normally tends to hold the several shutters 18 2- in their closed positions.

The cylinder 30, its piston 31, piston rod 28 and spring 33 constitute an oil pressure-responsive device having a chamber 34 which vwill enlarge when the pressure existing in ""f said chamber is greatly increased and will ensmall to the degree shown in the drawingswhen the oil pressure in the chamber isdiminished. Enlargement of the chamber 34 by movement of the piston, of course,results in an opening of the shutters, and ensmallment of the chamber results in the corresponding closing of the shutters.

The chamber 34of the oil pressure-responsive device is provided with an inlet port 35 connected by tube 36 with the outlet port of a thermal valve mechanism presently to be described. w The chamber 34 also is provided with an o'utlet port 36a communicating with a metering valve, the housing37 of which may be mounted upon the cylinder'30, if dewhich discharges to the crank case of the engine. i

The rate of oil outfiow lfrom the chamber 34 may be regulated to a nicety by a threaded Valve member 41, having a conical end 42, adapted to be adjusted toward and from a seat 43 past which-allcommunication between passages38 and 39 occurs. If desired, a threaded taper plug 44 may be provided to protect the adjustablevalve member 41 and additionally prevent the escape of any oil which possibly might be Vforced threads of the member'41.

I shall now described the thermostatic valve which regulates the infiow of oil to the past the chamber 34 of the oil pressure-responsive device. i

Mounted upon the `engine block 11 and communicating with its waterjacket through an opening 45 is theV housing 46 of the thermostatic valve, this housing being held firmly in position in any suitable manner, as for instance by a plurality of screws 47. A gasket 48 pi'eferably is inserted between the housing 46 and a suitable annular seat formed on the engine block 11 as shown. AThe space within the housing 46 is divided into two chambers 49and 50 by a circular diaphragm 51, the periphery of this diaphragm being 'firmly clamped between an annular shoulder on the housing 46 and a clamping ring 52, which has. threaded cngagement with the housing, as shown. The diaphragm 51 is of metal, that is to say of any suitable vbi-metal type whichi'sadapted to change from the flat disc form shown in full lines (Fig. 4) to the concavo-convex form, shown in'dotted lines, uncler the infiuence of heat. The lower face of the diaphragm 51 is, therefore, in contact withithe liquid occupying the water jackets of the engine block.

The chamber 49, above the diaphragm, is provided withan inlet port V53 which communicates through a tube 54 with the pressure side of the oil pump 14.

The chamber 49 of the thermostaticvalve is also provided with an Outlet port 55 located above and centrally of the diaphragm 5,1, this portcommunicating with the tube 36 which leads tothe chamber 34 of the oil pressure-responsive shutter-actuating device previously described. Threaded for adjustment in the outlet port 55 is a hollow plug 56 having a conical lower end constituting a seat with which the diaphragm 51 co-operates as a valve member; VVhen the engine is idle and when the engine is Operating at relatively low temperature, the diaphragm'l `occupies the full line position shown in Fig. 4 to prevent the passage of oil from the chamber 49 to the chamber 34 of the oil pressureresponsive device.

I wish to have it understood, however, that the plug 56 may, if desired, have a permanently open bleed'hole `57 in order that there may always be a minimum circulation of oil through tube 51, thermostatic-valve, tube 36, oil-pressure-responsive i device, metering valve and tube 40 When the engine -is operating.V VVhen the bleed hole 57 is employed, its effective area must be less than the eflective area for the escape of oil from chamber 34 -which is determined by the metering Valve. VVhen the engine is Operating, but not at a temperature sufiiciently high to make the opening of the .shutters desirable, the diaphragm 51 will occupy the positionV shown in Fig. 4. Under these conditions, nooil pressure will build up in the Chamber 34 of the oil pressure-responsive device (even though the small bleed hole 57 be formed in the conical plug 56) But after the temperature of the water within the engine water jackets has reached a certain temperature, the diaphragm 51 will move from the full line position of Fig. 4 to the dotted line position of the same figure, thereby afl'ording' substantially unrestricted communication between the oil pump 14 and the Chamber 34 of the oil pressure-responsive device, that is to say, an oil communication which has an effective area considerably greater than the effective area of the outlet for` the chamber 34, as determined by the metering valve. VVhen this condition is established, oil is pumped into .the Chamber 34 faster thanV 'it can escape past the metering valve, with the result that the chamber 34 is enlarged by movement of the piston 31, and the shutters are opened. During the time that the diaphragm remains in Vitsdotted line'position it is, of course, subjected on its upper face to the temperature of warm oil from the engine sump, and is subjected on its lower face to the temperature of the water within the cylinder jackets.

When and if the .temperature of the engine, as reflected by the temperatures of the oil and water in contact with the diaphrag'm, falls below a certain point, the diaphragm will reassume the full line position of Fig. 4. Pressure within the Chamber 34 of'the oil pressure-responsive device thereupon will dissipate and the shutters will return to their closed position under the influence of spring 33.

It will be noted that movement of the diaphragm from the full line position to its dotted line position (Fig. 4) is to some degree aided by the pressure of oil existing in the chamber 49, this being of advantage par- Vticularly on starting the engine after a long period of idleness, in which case there may be some tendency for the diaphrag'm to stick to the plug 56 in the event that the oil circulated by the pump' is not clean, free flowing oil. o V

The combination of parts herein described is particularly advantageous because it may be readily adjusted to meet the heat requirements of any engine, 01' to compensate for the peculiarities of the particular thermostatic valve employed. It is well known that the thermal characteristics of engines, even engines of the same design and make, vary within appreciable limits, and that 'characteristics of thermal discs and other thermostatic devices, even though they be of `uniform design, are apt to vary to a considerable extent. The metering valve Vforming part of the apparatus of the present invention enables me to regulate the opening of Vthe shutters to just the proper time in the temperature rise of the engine, despite-the fact that the precise thermal characteristics of the thermostatic valve employedbenot known. If With a given setting of the metering' valve it be discovered that the shutters open too early, the metering valve is slightly opened,

made in the Character, of the Cooling liquid l' of the engine, should make an earlier or later opening of the shutters, in rela tion to the temperature rise of the engine, desirable.

Having thus shown and described. an illustrative embdiment of my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination with an engine provided with an oil pump Vand shutters controlling the fiow of air to cool the engine, a circuit through which oil circulat-es from and to the pump, a pressure-responsive shutter-actuating device in said circuit, regulable means independent of the temperature of the engine for controlling the rate of oil outflow from said pressure-responsive device, and means responsive to the temperature of the engine for varying the rate of oil infio-w to said pressure-responsive device.

2. In combination with an engine provided with an oil pump and shutters controlling the fiow of air to cool the engine, a circuit through which oil flows to and vfrom the pump, a pressure-responsive shutter-actuating device in said circuit having an outfiow passa ge of pre-determined area, and means responsive to the temperature of the engine for varying the rate of oil inflow to such pressure-responsive device.

3. In combination with an engine provided 1 with an oil pump and shutters Controlling the flow ofair to cool the engine, a circuit through which oil at all times floWs to and from the pump, but `at varying rates, Vduring the operation of the engine, an oil pressure-responsive device in said Circuit, instrumentalities connecting said oil-pressure-responsive device of the shut-ters to actuate the latter, said oil pressure-responsive device having an oil out- I'low passa-ge of Constant area, and means responsive to the temperature of the engine for varying the rate of oil inflow to said oil pressure-responsive device. i

4. In combination With aniengine having an oil pump and shutters controlling the flow of air to cool the engine, an oil Circuit including said pump, an oil pressure-responsive device in said circuit, instrumentalities connecting the oil pressure-responsive device with the shutters to actuate the latter, a metering valve in said circuit determining the rate of oil outfiow from said pressure-responsive device, and means responsive to the temperature of the engine for varying the rate of oil inflow to such oil pressure-responsive device.

5. In combination with anengine Comprising an oil pump, a liquid Cooling system and adjustable means for controlling the fioiv of airadmitted to the Cooling system, an oil circuit including said, pump, an oil pressureresponsive device in said Circuit operativelyl connected With said air flow controlling means to actuate the latter, said pressureresponsive-device having an outfiovv passage of an effective area Constant during the operation of the engine, and means responsive to the temperature of the Cooling liquid of the engine for varying the inflow rate of oil to such pressure-responsive device.

(i. In combinationwith an engine comprising an oil pump, a liquidcooling system and adjustable means for controlling the fioiv of air admitted to the Cooling system, an oil circuit including said pump, an oil pressureresponsive device in said Circuit operatively connected with said air flow controlling means to actuate the latter, said pressureresponsive device having an out-fiow passage of an eective area Constant during the operation of the engine, and means responsive to the temperature of'the Cooling liquid of the engine and to the temperature of oil flowing through said circuit for varying the infiow rate of oil to said pressure-responsive device.

7. ln combination With an engine comprising an oil pump, a liquid Cooling system and adjustable means for Controlling the flow of air admitted to the Cooling system, an oil Circuit including said pump, an oil pressureresponsive device in said circuit operatively connected With said air fioyv Controlling means to actuate the latter, 'said pressureresponsive device having an outfiow passage of an effective area Constant during the operation of the engine, and means responsive to circuit including said pump, an oilzpressureresponsive device in said circuit operatively connected With said air flow` Controlling means ;to actuate the latter, said pressureresponsive device having an outflow passage of an effective area Constant during the operation of the engine, and means responsive to the temperature of the Cooling liquid-of the engine and to the pressure of the oil flowing in said circuit for varying the infiow rate of oil to said pressure-responsive means.

9. In Combination With an engine Comprising` an oil pump, a liquid Cooling system and adj ustable means for controlling the flow of air admitted to the Cooling system, an oil Clrcuitincluding said pump, an oil pressurerc ponsive device `in said' circuit operatively connected With said airflow controlling means to actuate the latter, said pressureresponsive device having an' outliow passage of an effective area Constant during the operation of the engine, and automatic means for varying the rate of oil fiow to such pressureresponsive device in accordance with the temperature of the engine. i

10. In combination With an engine comprising an oil pump, a liquid Cooling system and adjust-able means for controlling the fioW of air admitted to the Cooling system, lan oil circuit including said pump, an oil pressure-responsive device in said Circuit operatively `connected With said air fioW controlling means to actuate the latter, said pressure-responsive device having an outflow passage of an effective area Constant during the operation of the engine, and automatic means for varying the rate of oilV flow to such pressure-responsive device in accordance with the temperature of the engine, said automatic means Vcomprising a'movable thermal diaphragm having one surface exposed to the liquid of the engine Cooling system and its other surface exposed to the oil flowing in said circuit and a member Co-operating With said diaphragm through which oil may flow to said pressure-responsive device at a rate depending upon the relative positions of said member and said diaphragm. l

11. In Combination with an engine comprising an oil pump, a liquid Cooling system and adj ustable means for Controlling the flow of air admitted to the Cooling system, an oil circuit including said pump, an oil pressureresponsive device in said circuit operatively connected With said air flow controlling means to actuate the latter, said pressure-responsive device having an outfiow passage of an effective area Constant during the operation of the engine, and automatic means for varying the rate of oil floW to such pressure-responsive device in acoordance with the tem perature of the engine, said automatic means comprising a Chamber having a movab'le thermal diaphragm as one Wall thereof, said diaphragm being responsive to the tempera- 

